Wire fence



(No Model.)

A. M. KUHNSE WIRE FENCE.

No. 502,977. Patented Aug. 8, 1893.

.AMOS M.; "KUI-INS," OF UNION ,D EPOSIT, PENNSYLVANIA.

YWIRE amon-2..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,977, datedAugtists, 1893. Application filed December 13,1892. Serial No. 455,056. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AMOS M. KUHNS, a citizen of the United States,residing at 'Union De posit,in the county of Dauphin and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Wire Fence, of which thefollowing is a specification. 1

This invention relates to wire fences; and it has for its object toprovide certain improvements in the stays for fences ofthis; characterwhereby the running wires of the fence are not only prevented fromsagging and bending out of shape, but are also allowed a lateral playwithout impairing or disarranging the stays therefor.

To this end the invention primarily contemplates improvements in. thestays for wire fences, or an improved wire fence construction. 7

With these and many other objects in view which will readily appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated and claimed.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a wire fence constructed inaccordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewthereof on the line 0 c-x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail inperspective of a line of the fence stay construction. Fig. 4is a detailplan of one of the rigid stays.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents the parallelrunning wires of a wire fence stretched from post to post to form thenecessary panels in the usual manner. The wires A, are arranged parallelwith each other in any number desired according to the height of fence,and are held regularly spaced and firmly stayed by means of an alternateseries of rigid and flexible stays B, and O,respectively. The rigid andflexible stays in each vertical series alternate with each other fromthe lower to the upper wire of the fence, and each vertical series ofsuch stays have their flexible and rigid stays alternate with those ofthe adjacent series. This is" clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The flexiblestays O, comprise the separate U-shaped loops D, havingtheir ends coiled on two adjacent running wires as at d,

and looped through each other at the central point between the saidadjacent wires as at d In each of the vertical series of stays extendingfrom the top to the bottom of the fence these flexible stays alternatewith the rigid stay pickets B. I The rigid stay pickets B, have notchedends 0, which take over the wires A, between the coiled ends (I, of theU- shaped loops of the flexible stays, which thus prevent the ends ofthe rigid stays from becoming displaced, and therefore serve to keep thesaid rigid stays in vertical alignment with the flexible stays. In eachvertical series, when an uneven number of line wires A is employed, oneend of one of the rigid stays necessarily takes over either the top orbottom wire of the fence,'and in order to prevent the outer end of suchrigid stay from sliding out of position, I employ a small retaining loopE, coiled at its ends at G upon such top or bottom wire, and passedtransversely through a perforation ;F, in the stay, so that the end ofthe stay is firmly secured to the top or bottom wire as the case may be,to prevent either the top or bottom wire becoming disengaged from thenotches of the stays. Now from the foregoing, it will be readily seenthat by reason of the disposition of the flexible and rigid stays, thespace between all of the running wires A, is spanned by rigid andflexible stays alternately arranged, while this arrangement is true withrespect to the vertical alignment of the stays. It will be clear that bythis construction, lateral strain on the fence is readily yielded towithout sagging, or uneven bending on the part of the several wires,this being due to the yielding of the flexible loop stays, while theheight of the fence is kept uniform by reason of the rigid stays holdingthe wires evenly apart and preventing the sagging thereof. It may bewell to further observe at this point that by reason of having theflexible staysalternate with the rigid stays, a construction is providedwhich differs materially from wire fences employing all flexible staysor all rigid stays, so that the important featuresof .such fences can becombined in a single construction. It is to be noted that the flexiblestays allow a ready yielding of the fence, whereby lateral motion may beallowed without bending or impairing the stays in any manner, while therigid stays being connected directly to the line wires and held invertical alignment with the flexible stays by the end connections of thelatter, prevent any sagging 0r bending of such line wires, which is animportant feature of advantage in fences of this character, and it is tobe borne in mind that the rigid stays have their ends connected directlyto the line wires, without any supplemental wire connections, which inthemselves would yield and not allow the rigid stays to have their fullfunction.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation andmany ad vantages of the herein-described fence are apparent withoutfurther description.

Having thus described my invention, What I. claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,is--

1. In a wire fence, the combination of the parallel running wires and aseries of flexible and rigid stays arranged between and coin nected tosuch wires, said rigid and flexible stays being arranged alternately invertical alignment with each other and alternately in longitudinalalignment between the wire, substantially as set forth.

2. In a wire fence the combination of the parallel running wires, of analternate vertitical and longitudinal series of rigid and flexiblestays, said flexible stays comprising separate U-shaped loops loopedthrough each other at their closed ends between the wires and havingtheir other ends coiled on the two adjacent running wires, and saidrigid stays having notched ends taking over the running wires betweenthe coiled ends of the loops, and retaining loops secured to the top andbottom wires at points to engage the ends of the rigid stays taking oversuch wires, substantially as set forth.

3. In a wire fence, the combination with the parallel running wires; ofthe rigid and flexible stays, said rigid stays having end wire notchesand perforations adjacent to the top and bottom wires, and retainingloops passed through the perforations of the rigid stays and looped ontothe wires on each side thereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownI have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

AMOS M. KUHNS.

Witnesses:

E. M. WITHERS, AGNES M. WITHERS.

